The STEM College Advisory Council is comprised of influential leaders in industry and government who share a common commitment to the success of YSU. During their meeting on Friday, October 21 Council members provided input on several College initiatives, including an analysis of STEM facilities, ideas on promoting student engagement in industry, and the STEM College strategic plan. Martin Abraham, Dean of the STEM College, commented that “the Advisory Council is one way in which we can get input from leaders in industry, who know what our students need to learn in order to be successful after graduation. They can assist in building relationships that can lead to jobs for our students. They help us to make our curriculum relevant.” Another initiative of the council is to build good working relationships with industry to foster faculty and student involvement in joint research projects and establish YSU as a leading urban research university, and to help find employment opportunities for students and graduates. Jack Greaf, former Chairman and CEO of Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, said he is serving on the Council to provide some ideas from industry for research and development. He added, “I would like to understand what the University is doing in education particularly the STEM College,” so he can determine, “how the education that’s being provided can be complemented by industry.” Greaf, who is recently retired, graduated from YSU in 1967 and is hoping to give back to the University that gave him the education to be successful. Stephen Giangiordano, VP of Technology and Innovation at RTI, was in attendance and is a 1979 YSU graduate. He said, “I have a very strong interest in STEM issues that are facing the aerospace and defense industry. By having the privilege to be on the Council, I will have an opportunity to learn more about the STEM issues and have a positive impact on the University.” RTI has an ongoing relationship with YSU and offers internship opportunities for students. Joseph Hamrock, President and COO of American Electric Power, also serves on the council. American Electric is among the nation’s largest generators of electricity and owns the nation’s largest electricity transmission system (a nearly 39,000-mile network). Hamrock is a 1985 YSU graduate of the Electrical Engineering program and said he would like to give back to the University that provided him a great platform for success. He added, “My education at YSU in the Electrical Engineering program was so valuable to me in ways I didn’t understand then. It’s great to help today’s students explore the opportunities that a STEM education can provide for them.” David Reed is a Boardman native and currently resides in Poland. He is President of Essex Group, Inc. located in Fort Wayne, IN. He said he is grateful for the education he had at Youngstown State. He said, “Hopefully, I can continue to provide some positive influence from an industrial perspective.” He added that he hopes the college will continue to focus on undergraduate programs as well as graduate programs, and he wants to help provide support and influence from the private sector.